


Young Justice: Ceasefire

by Lunchtimebedamned



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, ceasefire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22268188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunchtimebedamned/pseuds/Lunchtimebedamned
Summary: 1960s AU!"Artemis is a hippie and against the war but Wally believes in defending his country." - Yeahletsgowiththatone (Tumblr)They meet, they fight, they talk, they eventually fall in love; it's a 60's spitfire story totally inspired by two amazing people on Tumblr (Who's links will be in the notes)
Relationships: Artemis Crock/Wally West, Kon-El | Conner Kent/M'gann M'orzz
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	1. If fate’s so great, why’s this asshole here?

**Author's Note:**

> HEY Although I did write 99% of these words (sans a snip it of text from Murrmernator's Tumblr post) the main idea comes from Yeahletsgowiththatone on Tumblr and Murrmernator's post really expands it and is just so lovely! I've been starting at these two posts for around 7 months now, and I finally feel like a good enough writer to sit down and write some fun Spitfire AU!
> 
> Yeahletsgowiththatone's Post: https://yeahletsgowiththatone.tumblr.com/post/47997275503/oh-duh-spittfire-if-you-dont-ship-it-let-me  
> Murrmernator's Post: https://murrmernator.tumblr.com/post/48093864765/i-saw-this-post-by-yeahletsgowiththatone-and-the

A loud thumping tore sleep away from Artemis, her near-daily vocal alarm clock – she’d heard it enough times to tell when it was different; hyper-desensitized to M’gann’s moans from the other side of the wall. Arty rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up, turning the radio on and up loud enough to drown out most of the other sounds, and headed to the bathroom. Today seemed to be starting like any other as Artemis went through brushing her teeth and hair, washing her face, and filling up the watering can to take care of the small jungle she and Megan had accumulated in their home. All that remained was waiting for Megan to – finish – so that she could steal some of the girl’s cooking… but this was taking longer than usual. A LOT longer.

_It sounds like a man in there – doesn’t it?_

She instinctively reached for her over-worn clothes, ignoring and neglecting the rest of her closet once again.

 _Maybe breakfast out would be better today_ , _which sure, means getting dressed and dragging my sorry ass somewhere other than the archery range; but means that I don’t have to meet her new partner_.

Artemis wasn’t good at small talk with M’gann’s lovers but she smirked as she pulled on her clothes, remembering the cute BCD1 solider M’gann had met a couple months ago when he got back from ‘Nam,

 _What was his name? Kevin? Colton?_ Connor. _M swears he’s innocent, and I guess that’s good enough for now._

M’gann has always been a fantastic judge of character, when they were kids Arty swore up and down to anyone who’d listen that Megan was psychic – But that doesn’t mean that the idea of a solider in her house sat any better in her stomach. At least she assumed the man in the other room was this Connor guy, M’gann had talked about little else since meeting him, energetically promising the indifferent universe that if she could have Connor, she wouldn’t sleep with anyone else _new_ until she did.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The problem with restaurants is that they’re public. A fact Artemis seems especially skilled at repressing. Its easy to forget that some people still support the war when you run in mostly ‘peace, love and sex’ circles of liberal-minded people. But here she was, listening to the boys in the booth behind her preach on and on about the “beauty of war” and “dying for your country”. She rolled her eyes at their self-affirming circle, all their viewpoints stunted, unresearched and obnoxiously repetitive.

_Not a thinker in the bunch, is there? They wouldn’t know an original thought if it was shoved up their ass like the government propaganda they seem to fucking love._

She tried to ignore them; she really did. But one can only focus on pancakes so long. She turned around in her seat to get a look at the men behind her. There were two with their backs facing her and an all-American red-head scratching absentmindedly at the freckles dotting his cheeks.

They made eye-contact briefly, Arty turning quickly back towards her food when the ginger boy flashed her a smile.

This stopped his friend mid-sentence as the other two turned around, leaning way to far into her personal space.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” the boy on her left cooed in her ear after looking her up and down. When Artemis didn’t respond to the blonde, the brunette on her right piped up.

“I think our friend thinks your cute, and since you Hippie chicks are all about the lovin’ maybe you’d like to show him a good time? He’s been a bit hard up as of late.”

“Guys.” Their friend didn’t seem to be enjoying this much either, he reached for the brunette’s shoulder but his hand was distractedly swatted away while the two continued to stare and the blonde girl. Both guy’s breath smelled like coffee and cheap cigarettes and Arty clenched her fists, the knuckles turning white. “Come on guys, stop messing with her.” The third boy tried to reign his friends in, but they stayed slumped over the booth in Artemis’ personal space.

“Would you like a refill, Artemis?” Kaldur; her friend, waiter, and one of the few reasons she still came here, was standing beside her, coffee pot in hand. He glanced at the two boys. “Or maybe you would like the bill?”

“Artemis, huh?”

“That’s a pretty name, blondie”

“The check please, Kaldur.”

He nodded walked away, which is when one of the boys spoke again.

“So you’ll talk to him but not to us?” The boy on her left tucked her hair behind her ear and she nearly popped a blood vessel, trying to remain calm and only move from his touch instead of breaking his nose.

“ ** _Guys_** I said knock it off. She’s clearly _not into it_.” The third boy had stood up, raising his voice at his friends, drawing the attention of a few other patrons. He pulled out his wallet and Kaldur came back, putting the check in front of Arty who quickly started to dig her wallet out of her bag.

“ _I think_ she was starting to warm up to us.” One of the two boys said, his arms behind his head.

Kaldur turned his attention to the three men, more specifically the two still sitting, “I think she was trying to not hit you.” Artemis let out an amused and agreeing breath. The red-head moved to Artemis’s table putting money down on her check.

“I’m sorry about that, let me get this for you.” Artemis got up, shoving the blond boy’s head back and out of her way. She looked at the lightly muscled ginger, picking up his money with a fake smile and shoving it back into his chest.

“Thanks, but I’ve got it. I don’t want or need anything from someone like _you_.” She pulled money out of her wallet and handed it to Kaldur who took it and was about to leave when the ginger boy grabbed his arm.

“Come on man, let me pay for it.” His hand was sternly moved off of Kaldur, who did not break eye contact with him.

“I believe she’s already made her decision and that you and your friends should just go.”

“Come on Wally, are you going to let an Oriental and a nig-“

**_SMACK!_ **

Artemis didn’t let the blond finish his sentence, but Kaldur held her back from another, more destructive, swing. Both boys in the booth stood up.

“You people disgust me. You’ve shown me _nothing_ to prove you’re better than us! Let go of me Kaldur! I can take them.” She struggled in Kaldur’s grip as he did his best to hold her back. He glanced back at the kitchen, but it was too late, Arthur had already seen.

“Artemis cool off or I’m calling the cops on all your asses!”

“But-!”

“I don’t give a damn if they deserve it! Drop it or take it somewhere else but not in my restaurant again!” He stood, crossing his arms over his chest. When Artemis glanced back at the boys she pulled against Kaldur’s grasp again.

Wally couldn’t believe these people. He thought through the consequences that would occur back in class briefly, but knew his decision was made the second they’d leaned over the booth. He walked up to his new classmates and started swinging. Arty finally pulled free of Kaldur and joined the fray. Kaldur rubbed his face in exasperation as the restaurant erupted into total chaos, everyone picking sides and screaming as Arthur dialed for the cops.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

An hour later Wally and Artemis were in a station cell together. Artemis had been mumbling angrily about ‘stupid sexist, racist, close-minded bigots’ as she paced back and forth, her only comfort being she was over 18, which meant her mother _never_ had to hear about this.

Wally on the other hand had been sitting on the small bed, watching the girl in front of him. The small green top she wore exposed her perfectly toned midriff - but the jacket around her waist looked like it was going to fall apart at any minute; the sloppy green repair stitches the only thing holding it together he was sure – and her pants had more embroidered patches and rips than he’d ever seen on Levi’s before in his life. He let out a deep sigh, peeling his back off the wall and resting his exposed fore arms on his knees.

“Look, I’m sorry about them. We- I’m not friends with them.” She turned to face Wally with a scowl on her face and he swallowed thickly under the girl’s intense glare. “We got assigned a politics paper and they’re my partners.”

She just huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, moving to turn away from him. As she began to turn away, Wally gave her a sarcastic salute, but she caught it out of the corner of her eye, stopping mid-turn. She laughed mirthlessly and turned her head back towards him, looking him up and down.

He was wearing a blue plaid button up, corduroy pants and a watch. He looked good, the clothes fit him well and complemented his form – but you could tell who he was. A suburbian mama’s boy who believed what the good ol’ government told him. Her gaze shifted outside the cell again, focusing on the slightly faded pro-military enlistment propaganda poster on the wall across from them. She looked back at him and pointed.

“You actually believe in this shit?”

He looked at the poster, and his jaw clenched subconsciously and the forthcoming lecture from the grass-fed hippie chick in front of him, unable to control the simmering frustration in his voice.

“Yeah, actually, I do,” Wally could feel a flush creep up his neck. His eyes started to burn. “I believe in fighting for my country.”

Artemis shook her head, throwing her arms out to either side of her body.

“Maybe you missed the memo, man, but the war isn’t in your country. It’s not even on this continent.”

Wally stood up, pointing an angry finger at her and talking just as expressively with his hands.

“That’s not the point! It not about where, it’s about what we stand for, about freedom-“ He stopped when her finger pressed to his chest, a couple anger stoking jabs thrown in for good measure as she spoke.

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” she snaps, turning away from him.

He saw more than just anger in her eyes and sighs, running a hand through his hair. “What’s your problem, huh?” She ignores him again. He crosses his arms, leaning back against the cold, dirty wall. He looks at her again curiously. “So what are you, anyway” He waits for a reply but there is none. “Chinese?”

No answer.

He can almost feel her anger, rolling off her shoulders and hitting him in sharp, icy waves. He shivers. “Japanese?”

She turns violently and looks right at him, eyes burning, freezing him in place. “No,” she hisses, and he swears, just for a moment, he hears her voice tremble. “I’m Vietnamese.”

He forgets how to breathe.

“What?” She practically snarls, “Does it feel different now that the ‘enemy’ is a blonde American? Do they feel like people now to you that you see it mixed with French? Does your tiny little brain hurt from the realization that maybe they’re just like you and everyone you know?!”

He finally meets her gaze; he can see the despair in it now.

“I didn’t know.”

“That doesn’t make it better.”

Artemis sits on the floor of the cell, her back against the bars, and starts picking at some of the frayed edges of her jacket sleeves.

After about an hour of heavy silence a guard comes in and lets them know they’ll be released in the morning, but that they’re going to hold them overnight as penance. The metal door clangs as the guard exists. The quiet returns for only a moment before Wally slides down to the floor, his neck pressed against the cot’s metal frame behind him.

“Will you explain it all to me?”

She looked up at him to see stare filled with soft, determined intensity.

“Excuse me?”

“Your viewpoints. I want to understand them.” When she raises and eyebrow at him, he continues. “I’ve never questioned much of what I’ve been told. I like science, it’s what I study. There are facts and laws you have to abide by without question, I’m not used to looking for answers to problems I wasn’t given. If my views come from one source they’re skewed. I want to know what you think, how you think things should be. Then I’ll be closer to knowing if what I think is right.”

Artemis looked at the man in front of her with slight disbelief.

“Well –“

“And I want to take you to breakfast tomorrow.”

“What? No! Don’t push your luck.”

“It’s a thank you and an apology for everything. Please?”

After a long pause, Artemis let out an exasperatedly accepting breath.

“I’ll tell you what I think but I’m not promising breakfast because in 3 hours of knowing you, this is the first time you haven’t completely pissed me off.”

Wally smiled and nodded, “Sounds good to me, babe.”

“And don’t call me that.”

“What?”

“’Babe.’”

“Why not?!”

“UGH!”

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

1BCD: Bad conduct discharge (don’t worry, he’s a good boy, promise promise)


	2. Breakfast, Braids and BCD’s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning and some new understanding between Wally and Artemis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really took my time with this chapter (AKA Sorry for the long wait)...  
> But I think a story is only as good as it's foundations and I really wanted to make sure I was setting all the character's up in the right ways that fit where I'm going and what I want to highlight!  
> Overall, I'm feeling pretty good about this one and I hope you all enjoy!  
> Lots of love,  
> \- Raina

Chapter 2: Breakfast, Braids and BCD’s

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Artemis woke up on the cold cement floor, soon greeted with an officer holding the cell door open and her cellmate extending a hand.

She didn’t take it, but she didn’t glare at him either, which, Wally supposed was a start.

After a short lecture from an old receptionist whose very appearance demands she be called ‘ma’am’ and collecting their things, Artemis and Wally stood outside the station, squinting at the early sunrays peeking through the trees.

“So, you never did explain your point of view and, I’m starved.” Wally gave her a crooked grin she was sure he thought was charming and she sighed, running her fingers through the first few inches of her hair before reaching a snag and wincing slightly at the sharp pull on her scalp.

“I’m not going anywhere like this.” She lifted a chunk of her hair up, letting it fall to reveal the tangled mess beneath the surface, in a half-hearted attempt to just go home.

“Okay, well my car is still by the diner so I’m going to take a cab and find somewhere else to eat. If you want to come with me, I’ll fix your hair on the way.” He turned on his heel, fishing some coins out of his back pocket and walking to the payphone a few feet away.

“You’ll what?”

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Artemis had agreed for three reasons in particular:

  1. She was starving.
  2. Anyone willing to not be an asshole was worth sitting through a free breakfast – she hoped
  3. There was something about this guy that was just – off. Not in a creepy way, obviously or she wouldn’t be going anywhere with him… he just seemed to have layers. He’d surprised her three times in 24 hours – which was not an easy feat.



And now Wally was braiding her obscenely long hair in the back of a cab, and it didn’t even hurt.

“So, what? Do you have a sister?”

“No, do you?”

“Heh. Yeah, I do. She’s older, and –” She cut herself off, hunger and a lack of sleep always made it harder to keep her walls up, they’d slip away without her noticing. She shook herself mentally and got back to the point. “If you don’t have a sister where’d you learn to do this?”

Wally let out an amused sound behind her.

“I’ve always had a dangerously short attention span – I can’t sit still. I always tried to learn everything I could growing up because not doing anything felt like dying. My friend Roy always had pretty long hair, so I used to practice on him and the neighbor girls when we were little.” Artemis gave a little hum of acknowledgement and smiled to herself, looking out the window of the car as Wally worked away. He could see her reflection in the window, but he wasn’t going to bring that up, a smile working its way onto his face as well.

“So, what exactly is it that you want to know?” She could feel his hands pause their movement for a moment as he thought.

“I guess to start, protesting wars aside and all, what’s the point of it all? Do you have a hair tie?”

She reached into her pocket, passing a hair tie back to him, a quizzical look on her face.

“’It all’ what?”

“The hippie movement, that’s what you call yourselves, right?”

“Yeah, I guess you could call me a ‘hippie’. And – It’s about living authentically. Being who you are – or at least giving yourself the freedom to figure that out.”

“I get that part, but why do you have to shun society and your privileges to do that?” He tied off the braid and she turned to face him, sitting cross-legged on the seat, flipping the braid over her shoulder.

“It’s not shunning privileges; it’s about re-examining the society around you and deciding for yourself how you want to live. Not everybody wants the same things, and to expect them to, is repressing. We can acknowledge our privileges, whatever they may be, if they exist at all, and choose a different path than the one you were told to want.”

The driver pulled up to Arthur’s Diner and got out.

While Wally was busy paying the driver, Artemis put her hands up defensively and mouthed a sincere ‘sorry’ at Arthur who was glaring at them from inside the diner.

Wally didn’t notice their silent conversation and his voice tore her away from Arthur’s glare.

“My car is this way. Where do you want to eat?” They began walking and Artemis shrugged indifferently.

“You pick.”

Wally stops, turning towards Artemis, the smile in his eyes giving away his serious expression for something much lighter.

“So you actually trust my opinion on something?” When Artemis only quirks her mouth up slightly, he rubs at the back of his neck with a smile and continues walking.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

“I really only know places with good hangover food in town so –” He gestures to the building they’ve just parked next to.

“Same here. My roommate usually cooks.” When he just looks at her, she unbuckles her seatbelt, making a face like her voice had somehow betrayed her, which Wally didn’t understand because her voice was so cute. He was still staring, and Artemis spoke with a raised eyebrow that seemed to be quirked in genuine amusement instead of hostility “This place works fine, _Wallace_.”

He groans softly in protest as he unclips his seatbelt and leans his head back into the headrest.

“ _Please_ don’t call me that. You have sensitive information, here, ba- Artemis.” He quickly corrected himself and got out of the car, Artemis following suit. “So- uh you have a roommate!” He pauses awkwardly and winces at his own volume. “Are they a hippie too?”

Artemis lets herself laugh, falling into stride next to Wally as they enter the building.

“Oh god yes, _way_ more than I am. As far as the stereotypes go, anyway.” She punches him lightly on the shoulder “And would you quick acting spastic! I’m not going to bite your head off as long as I get fed soon”

They share a smile and slip into a booth, the seats so old and worn that both could feel the wood frames underneath the ancient vinyl.

“So what’s with this whole long hair thing? Not that I don’t love it, but it not exactly the norm- I answered my own question, didn’t I?”

Artemis ‘shh’s’ him, a small smile hidden in the creases of her expression as she focuses on her menu.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Yeah, so…

Watching Wally eat had been an – _experience._

She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen anyone eat so much food, so violently – _so quickly_.

He’d been finished with three of the four things he ordered by the time Artemis was halfway through her first of two. He’d assured her that even his parents were _still_ perplexed by his uncanny impression of a human vacuum – Nevertheless – It was still a sight she didn’t really want to behold again.

The entirety of breakfast didn’t last very long and before they knew it he was giving her a ride home.

Wally pulled into Artemis and M’gann’s driveway just as a large, muscular man exited the house. Artemis recognized Conner immediately, and tried to smile politely at him - but the moment he saw her he ducked his head and quickened his pace.

“What was that about?” Wally looked over the seat, watching with curious interest as the man briskly faded into the distance. Artemis let out an amused breath, drawing Wally’s focus to her.

“I have no id-“ Her eyes widened as though her heart had stopped in her chest and she threw open the car door, scrambling out and booking it to her front door, Wally close behind.

“Artemis, what is it?!”

She hastily throws open her front door – eliciting a small scream from M’gann who was currently in the kitchen in nothing but a long T-shirt, which she tried in vain to pull down when Wally appeared beside Arty in the doorway.

“Artemis! You scared me half to death!”

Artemis took in Megan’s surroundings in her quick analytical fashion before running up to the startled girl, hugging her tightly. M’gann’s wet dishwashing gloves dripped soapy water down Artemis’s back as she gave Wally a small, confused wave. “Hi.”

He smiled back with a confused laugh and Artemis pulled away, suddenly remembering that Wally was here with them.

“Uh-ha. Um… I – Conner practically ran when he saw me and – I mean I trust you and your ability to read people but-“

“You thought he hurt me?”

“He did get a BCD1 M’gann!”

Megan laughed in response, “Artemis I told you he’s a good guy! I can’t go into details but it – he -you can trust him. I promise.”

Wally’s body finally de-tensed, finally understanding what was happening.

Megan was giving Artemis a look that screamed ‘you big dork, I’m fine’ and Wally had a feeling Artemis was given this look often. Artemis sighed, getting the message that she’d overacted, and feeling very stupid, she just dropped her head onto M’gann’s shoulder and pointed back at Wally without looking at him. “That’s Wally. We got arrested together at Arthur’s yesterday and then he bought me breakfast.”

Megan started laughing hysterically.

“Nice to meet you, Wally! Would you like to come in?”

“I’d love to!”

Artemis grumbled into M’gann’s shoulder in mild protest.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

1BCD: Bad conduct discharge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... What did you guys think?  
> Do you have any predictions?  
> Leave a review and let me know your thoughts if you feel so inclined!  
> Thanks for reading,  
> \- Raina


End file.
